Chapter 88

Fang Dongting was no fool, much less an idiot. Gong Qingfeng’s idea was clearly aimed at the other gangs in Changning Prefecture.

However, these matters had nothing to do with him, Fang Dongting.

In Fang Dongting’s view, these small gangs, engaging in intrigue in the tiny territory of Changning Prefecture, were like ants fighting, both pitiful and laughable.

Therefore, he would not bother with these matters. He only needed the Divine Wind Society to search the entire Changning Prefecture within three days.

Moreover, he seemed to have heard that the gang Xie Zhiyan had chosen was the Flying Eagle Gang.

He would take ten thousand men from the Flying Eagle Gang, which would slow down Xie Zhiyan’s progress.

The relationship between the Qingcheng Sword Sect and the Yi Jian Sect had never been good. Moreover, he was extremely displeased that Xie Zhiyan’s ranking on the Human List was ahead of his own.

The next morning, Su Xin had someone take the drawings he had made and start asking around the streets and alleys of Changning Prefecture.

However, Su Xin did not think this would be very useful.

Su Xin could be considered a conspiracy theorist. He firmly believed that there were no coincidences in this world.

If his deductions from yesterday were correct, there must be a black hand manipulating everything behind the scenes. The fifth key should also be in his hands.

When the time came, that black hand would naturally reveal itself. Otherwise, even if they searched, they would not find it.

However, since he had received Xie Zhiyan’s elixir, the saying "if you take someone's money, you must do their bidding" applied. Whether or not they could find it, they had to at least make an effort to look.

Just as Su Xin was about to have breakfast, Huang Bingcheng suddenly came over, looking anxious. "Boss, Gong Qingfeng from the Divine Wind Society has brought people here, including a young man with unfathomable strength, who seems to be from one of the major sects."

Su Xin frowned. Gong Qingfeng and he had no particular relationship, and the disciples of the major sects were now searching Changning Prefecture for the key. Why were they coming to him?

"What did they say?"

Huang Bingcheng, looking angry, said, "They want you to go out and pay your respects."

Su Xin’s face immediately turned cold. The word 'pay respects' was used very well. Instead of saying 'meet,' they said 'pay respects.' What did this mean? An insult?

Throughout history, 'pay respects' was a term used by juniors when meeting elders or those of high status.

But that was just a polite term. If you directly said, "So-and-so is coming to pay respects," it was a clear insult, showing no respect at all.

"Let’s go and 'pay respects' to them and see what they want."

At this moment, in the Jin Yue Hall, Fang Dongting was sitting in the main seat where Su Xin had previously sat, slowly sipping tea.

He was not trying to take Su Xin’s position. Who was he, Fang Dongting, to sit in a subordinate position in a small gang?

The members of the Flying Eagle Gang in the main hall, seeing Fang Dongting’s rudeness, could not help but feel angry. Could just anyone sit in that position? This was a clear provocation!

However, Huang Bingcheng had warned them before leaving. "We can’t afford to offend these people. We’ll wait for the boss to decide."

But perhaps because one of the members looked at Fang Dongting too obviously, Fang Dongting frowned.

"That guy’s gaze makes me very unhappy. Go, slap his face."

Gong Qingfeng nodded and walked directly to the member, about to strike, but at that moment, Su Xin’s cold snort was heard.

"Gang Leader Gong, if my people have done something wrong, I will punish them myself. It’s not your place to discipline them!"

Seeing Su Xin come out, Gong Qingfeng stopped and smiled. "Boss Su, this isn’t me who wants to hit him, but Lord Fang’s order."

Fang Dongting looked at Su Xin in surprise. The leader of the largest gang in Changning Prefecture was so young?

However, Fang Dongting was only surprised for a moment. No matter how young, he was still the leader of a small gang in the southern wilderness of Changning Prefecture. Moreover, the martial world was full of so-called young talents.

For a martial artist like Fang Dongting, who had entered the Human List at the age of twenty, anyone below the innate realm was just a commoner.

"I’ve heard your Flying Eagle Gang has many people. That’s perfect. Lend me ten thousand. Of course, I won’t borrow them for free. I’ll teach you two of the seven Wind-Chasing Swords from the Qingcheng Sword Sect’s entry-level sword techniques."

Qingcheng Sword Sect’s entry-level sword techniques? Was he treating him like a beggar?

Moreover, even if Fang Dongting offered better techniques, Su Xin would not agree. He had already promised to help Xie Zhiyan, and now lending people to Fang Dongting would not win Fang Dongting’s favor but would anger Xie Zhiyan.

Such a lose-lose situation was something Su Xin would not do.

So Su Xin simply smiled and said, "Sorry, no."

Fang Dongting was taken aback, not expecting Su Xin to refuse him outright. He suddenly burst into laughter, but his face gradually turned cold.

"You really have a lot of nerve. Do you know who you’re refusing? A small gang in Changning Prefecture, I can destroy the Qingcheng Sword Sect with a wave of my hand!"

Su Xin looked at Fang Dongting calmly. He and Xie Zhiyan were two extremes.

Xie Zhiyan disliked people who always brought up their sects. In her view, if one could not make the opponent submit, and had to rely on the pressure of one’s sect, that was a sign of failure.

In Xie Zhiyan’s eyes, Fang Dongting was such a failure.

"Lord Fang, I can’t afford to offend the Qingcheng Sword Sect, but I can’t afford to offend the Yi Jian Sect either. My people are now helping Miss Xie from the Yi Jian Sect find the key. If you want to borrow people, you can go to her."

Fang Dongting said coldly, "I will naturally go to Xie Zhiyan, but I’m asking you now, will you lend them or not?"

Su Xin took a deep breath. Fang Dongting’s attitude was aggressive, forcing him to take a side.

He did not think he had offended Fang Dongting, but the other party was like a mad dog, determined to bite him. Did he really think he was easy to bully?

"Sorry, still no."

"Looking for death!"

Fang Dongting snorted coldly, his figure suddenly bursting forward, stepping in front of Su Xin, and forming a sword with his fingers, thrusting towards Su Xin’s chest.

This finger sword was swift as the wind and fierce as fire. Even using his fingers as a sword, the momentum was continuous, like a sudden storm.

Su Xin originally wanted to use his finger to counter with the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Spirit Finger, but this was his trump card, and he did not want to use it lightly. Moreover, he wanted to test how powerful an innate martial artist was.

So Su Xin did not retreat but advanced, using the Deep Hatred Palm, which was relentless and unyielding!

"Bang!"

A dull sound echoed. Fang Dongting took a step back, while Su Xin retreated three steps, feeling a tingling sensation in his palm.

"Indeed, as expected of an innate martial artist. In terms of strength alone, I am far inferior."

This was the gap in strength. Fang Dongting was only at the first stage of the innate realm, having opened his qi sea, while the innate realm had three stages.

At the first stage, the dantian qi sea was opened, and one’s internal energy was dozens of times stronger than at the peak of the postnatal realm, even reaching the point of externalizing true qi.

If Fang Dongting had used a long sword, he could have cut through the air and injured Su Xin from three feet away with his internal energy.

Su Xin was shocked by the power of the innate martial artist, but he did not realize that Fang Dongting was even more shocked.

Just now, he had not held back at all, determined to cripple Su Xin, the leader of a small gang who dared to defy him.

But he did not expect Su Xin to block his finger sword. Although the palm technique was strange, its power was also formidable.

After all, there was a significant gap between them. Even without a sword, that finger sword had three-tenths of the power of his sword.

"Good, good, good. I didn’t expect to find such a person in this southern wilderness. Fine, then take my sword!"

Fang Dongting’s attendant immediately threw his long sword, which Fang Dongting caught and drew.

The sword was marked with patterns like pine bark, looking like a clear spring, emitting a cold and clear aura, clearly not an ordinary weapon.

The Qingcheng Sword Sect originated from Daoism, and their sword techniques carried a strong Daoist flavor. Dao follows nature, and everything can be a sword!

Fang Dongting raised his long sword, using the same technique as the finger sword. The wind and fire combined, the fire fueled by the wind, the sword trembling, and by the time it reached Su Xin, it had become a raging inferno!

This was the unique Daoist sword technique of the Qingcheng Sword Sect, the Wind and Fire Dao Sword!

Su Xin quickly retreated. He was not arrogant enough to face an innate martial artist head-on.

Although he had blocked Fang Dongting’s attack just now, that was without a sword.

For a swordsman, the sword was their second life.

A swordsman with a sword and one without were two entirely different levels.

At this moment, a clear voice came, "Fang Dongting, this is not your Qingcheng Mountain, and it’s not your place to show off here."

With this voice, a faint sword cry echoed.

A long sword appeared from the side, and Xie Zhiyan, like a fairy, used a graceful and ethereal sword technique, instantly suppressing Fang Dongting’s Wind and Fire Dao Sword.

Most peculiarly, Xie Zhiyan’s sword seemed to have a spirit, always preemptively striking Fang Dongting’s sword, precise and subtle, like a fire in the wind.

In just a few moves, Fang Dongting’s sword had been struck several times, making his wrist numb, forcing him to retreat, almost losing his grip on the sword.

Fang Dongting retreated, his eyes filled with shock.

He knew Xie Zhiyan’s ranking on the Human List was ahead of his, but he had always been不服气 (unconvinced).

The Human List was not ranked by cultivation level but by personal achievements.

Fang Dongting had always been training in the Qingcheng Sword Sect and had not truly ventured into the martial world, so he had no notable achievements. He believed his ranking at 105th on the Human List was a severe underestimation.

Xie Zhiyan had only been in the martial world for a year longer, which was why she was ranked 78th. So Fang Dongting thought that even if there was a gap between him and Xie Zhiyan, it should not be too large.

But after this exchange, he realized that the Human List ranking was indeed very fair.

PS: Thank you to the readers Leng Ye Chang Kong, Wang Dazhi, Kou Tian Wen Dou Gui, Sha Wu Ke Lian 1987, Shu You 160428003602689, and Hong Chen Bai Nian for your support.